Top Reasons to Go

Folklore and tradition: Visit the fishing villages of Volendam and Marken, where traditional costume is worn by many, and be charmed by the picturesque wooden houses of Broek-in-Waterland.

Paintings, paintings, paintings: Take in the Old Masters in Haarlem's Frans Hals Museum. Marvel at Vermeer’s View of Delft at The Hague’s Gemeentemuseum, and visit his hometown to see his muse.

The views: Ride the elevator up Rotterdam's Euromast, the country's highest observation deck, for a bird's-eye view of Europe's busiest harbor, or gasp at the windmills of Kinderdijk.

Old-world charm: Delft's canal-lined medieval streets are time travel at its best.

Flower power: In spring, marvel at the brilliantly colored floral displays in the Keukenhof Gardens and tour the bulb fields.